Workshop Description

How is a song written? What is a hook? What makes rhyme? Which comes first, melody or lyrics? In this online version of Waltons New School of Music’s The Art & Craft of Songwriting workshop, acclaimed singer-songwriter Melanie O’Reilly will answer these frequently asked questions and many more. Step by step, she will take you through different approaches to the songwriting process, integrating the craft’s many skills into a seamless artistic whole. You will learn about:

• Choosing your theme and approach
• Structuring a song
• Putting together lyrics, melody and rhythm
• And finally, transforming your inspirational ideas into finished songs

Melanie will not only guide you on creating our own songs but will also examine some classic songs (in several genres) in terms of their musical and lyrical craft.

No matter what your level of experience (beginners welcome), music background or area of interest (lyrics only, musician or singer-songwriter), The Art & Craft of Songwriting is a creative, participatory and fun workshop not to be missed!

Requirements

Participants in this online workshop will need to have the following:

• An internet-connected laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone. (A laptop or computer with webcam and microphone is recommended, as it will have the largest picture.)
• Ideally, internet speed at least 1.5Mb per second. (You can test your speed using Measurement Lab’s Speed Test.)
• Headphones or earbuds, if possible.
• Free Zoom software or app.*

*   If you haven’t learned music with Zoom before, please see our printable Zoom for Students information sheet for information on how to download and set up Zoom for music tuition.

Before the workshop begins, the teacher will email you a Zoom meeting invitation that includes a meeting ID and password to join.

Melanie O’Reilly

Melanie is an internationally-known jazz performer, singer, songwriter and music educator. She has recorded seven albums and performed on eight compilations, her music has been featured on PBS television and she has won numerous awards from the Arts Council. She was lauded by Downbeat magazine as one of Ireland’s foremost jazz ambassadors, has performed at several international festivals, including the inaugural EU/USA Jazz Festival, where she represented Ireland at the Los Angeles Schoenberg Hall, and her recent tribute to jazz icon Anita O’Day show earned her four-star reviews at the Edinburgh Festival. She is a regular performer on radio and TV and is the creator and host of the award-winning RTÉ radio show Jazz on the Bay. Melanie has extensive experience teaching songwriting, jazz voice and performance technique. She has taught at the Oakland School of the Arts, the New College of California in San Francisco and University of California Berkeley’s CAL Extension programme, among others. She also regularly teaches at the California Jazz Conservatory Berkeley as part of their World Music Vocal programme and was a Visiting Scholar and Musician-in-Residence at the University of California Berkeley’s Celtic Studies programme from 2003 to 2009. She is currently Jazz Artist in Residence at the Wexford Arts Centre, and she recently completed an MFA in Performance at the American College Dublin, where she was also awarded Graduate Student of the Year. Melanie has taught with the New School since 2004.

Reviews • Testimonials

‘The course really helped break my writer’s block!’
– B. Carvill

‘Melanie O’Reilly is a very experienced teacher and had great suggestions for improving my songwriting. I love her energy, enthusiasm and kind nature. She went above and beyond to assist the whole class to improve their work. I really enjoyed and benefited a lot from this class.’
– D. Connolly

‘A great educational experience and very friendly atmosphere.’
– T. Cronin

‘I learned so much about the structure of songs and the business of songwriting.’
– P. Emmet

‘I thoroughly enjoyed The Art & Craft of Songwriting workshop with Melanie O’Reilly. I found the content very interesting and informative, and I’m continuously putting it into practice in my writing. Melanie is a brilliant teacher, enjoyable and fun to listen to. She has so much knowledge and experience, and the course has helped me to get a grasp on how to go about writing a song with a structure. It was also a lovely way of meeting people with similar interests, and we still keep in touch. I would highly recommend the course. ‘
– C. Horan

‘An excellent teacher with so much to give.’
– J. Lynch

‘Melanie is very experienced teacher/songwriter, and she was very generous about sharing her knowledge. She was also very supportive and gave everyone on the course plenty of time and support with their individual creative projects. Really enjoyed the course!’
– F. Tyndall

‘A very beneficial course – kick-started my songwriting!’
– J. White

Have you taken this workshop? We would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to give us your feedback in a brief online questionnaire about it.

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2024 Summer Term
Workshop Schedule & Fee

To be confirmed.

Please contact us (providing your name) if you would like to be notified when the 2024 workshop schedule and fee are confirmed and we start accepting enrolments.

Enrolment

Enrolment for this workshop requires a completed Enrolment Form and full payment of the workshop fee. Places are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the date of enrolment. Many of our courses and workshops fill in advance of their start dates, and early enrolment is recommended.

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